Considering the severe weight issues that affect the 1.0.x (rev-1) design, and taking into account that issues #1, #3, #6, #7, #12, #13, #17, #19, #20, and #21 all deal with the wings having geometry added or revised, lets contribute to feature bloat by making the wing definitions compatible with wet-layup and/or vacuum prepreg implementations!
Specifically, this target is to have the wings, as defined by the current partitions for 3D printing, have a negative mold available, which will obviously be 3D printed. This negative mold will be a clamshell with a living hinge, such that the molded wing pieces can be removed without destroying the mold, using a seam along the leading edge, or perhaps just below, or along another part of wing geometry. Wing pieces will be attached to the (still) 3D printed body and empennage piece using the regular method (plus spar).
Actual molded material may be fiberglass, carbon-fiber, Kevlar, or a mix. This is somewhat opposite the preferred dream, which is doing an Expanded Polypropylene foam molding process. Related is the idea of making a CNC definition for subtractive milling on a block of EPP. Both these EPP options require expensive equipment; another idea is to use a traditional hot-wire method, but such cannot capture the intricate pockets, curves and cavities that will be present in the wing definition. Perhaps a hot-wire carving "bit" attachment for common 3D printers would do, but that is an entire project unto itself.
Considering the severe weight issues that affect the 1.0.x (rev-1) design, and taking into account that issues #1, #3, #6, #7, #12, #13, #17, #19, #20, and #21 all deal with the wings having geometry added or revised, lets contribute to feature bloat by making the wing definitions compatible with wet-layup and/or vacuum prepreg implementations!
Specifically, this target is to have the wings, as defined by the current partitions for 3D printing, have a negative mold available, which will obviously be 3D printed. This negative mold will be a clamshell with a living hinge, such that the molded wing pieces can be removed without destroying the mold, using a seam along the leading edge, or perhaps just below, or along another part of wing geometry. Wing pieces will be attached to the (still) 3D printed body and empennage piece using the regular method (plus spar).
Actual molded material may be fiberglass, carbon-fiber, Kevlar, or a mix. This is somewhat opposite the preferred dream, which is doing an Expanded Polypropylene foam molding process. Related is the idea of making a CNC definition for subtractive milling on a block of EPP. Both these EPP options require expensive equipment; another idea is to use a traditional hot-wire method, but such cannot capture the intricate pockets, curves and cavities that will be present in the wing definition. Perhaps a hot-wire carving "bit" attachment for common 3D printers would do, but that is an entire project unto itself.